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(No Model.) 5 SheetsShe'et 1.

W. A. NETTLETON & G. F. LITTLE-JOHN. MAGHINE FOR OOVBR-ING CORSET STAYS.No. 340,347. Patented Apr. 20, 1886.

a a n y 0 o W 1.1 /ao (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. A. NETTLBTON 85C. F. LITTLEJOHN.

MACHINE FOR COVERING GORSET STAYS.

No. 340,347. Patented Apr. 20, 1886.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4. W. A. NETTLETON & 0. F.- LITTLEJOHN'.MAGHINE FOR COVERING-CORSET STAYS.

No. 340,347. Patented Apr l 20, 1886.

(No Model.) Q 5 Sheets-Sheet 5. W. A. NETTLETON & G. P. LITTLEJOHN.MACHINE FOR COVERING CORSET STAYS.

No. 340,347. Patented Apr. 20, 1886.

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NITED STATES PATENT -Fricn.

\VILLIAM NETTLETON AND CHARLES F. LITTLEJOHN, OF BRIDGEPOR'I,CONNECTICUT; SAID LITTLEJOHN ASSIGNOR TO SAID N ETTLETON.

MACHINE FOR COVERING CORSET-STAYS.

QPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,347, dated April20, 1886,

- Application filed January 2, 1886. Serial No. 187,505. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM A. NETTLE- 7 Improvements in Machines forCovering 001'- I set-Stays; and we do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact descrip- IO tion of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same. v

Our invention has for its object the production of mechanism forcovering separate I trimmed corset-steels or dress-stays with cloth,

paper, or any suitable material.

Heretofore it has been common to cover a continuous fiat spring or stripof wire with paper or cloth, which strip was then cut intosuitablelengths for corset-stays. This method, however, required thatthe ends of the stays should be finished in somemanner or capped.

\Ve are not aware that any machine has been devised that willautomatically cover stays 2 5 already cut into proper lengths, that willleave any desired length of cloth between the stays, and will cut thecloth at any desired place after the stays have been covered. With theseends in view we have devised the novel machine of which the followingdescription, in

connection with the accompanying drawings,

is a specification.

Similar numbers denote the same parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

Figure l is a side elevation of the entire machine, a portion of theframework being broken away at one end to show the cutting device. Fig.2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale, illustrating the essentialfeatures of our 0 invention, the weight being removed from the magazine.Fig.3 is a vertical section of aportion of the bed and the cross-slideon the line I x x in Fig. 2. Fig. at is a vertical cross-section on theline y y in Fig. 2, the parts being in the 5 position they occupy at theinstant that a stay is expelled, the weight being removed. Fig. 5 is asimilar cross-section showing the retracted position of the cross-slideand fin gersthat is, at the instant a forward movement to expel anotherstay is about to begin. Fig.

6 is adetail View of the rollers which form the strip to receive thestay. Fig. 7 is a view corresponding with Fig. 5, with the exceptionthat certain parts are removed, and illustrating a modified form inwhich spring-fingers are used, which are attached to the front of thecross-slide, not being recessed into either the carrying-plate or thecross-slide; and Fig. 8 isa cross-section of the modified form on theline z z in Fig. 7. 6o

1 is the frame-work, 2 the bed, and 3 an extension or carrying platesecured in any suitable manner to the bed or frame-work of th machine.

The strip of cloth or paper with which the 5 stays are covered iscarried by a roller, 4, journaled in the frame-work.

5 indicates the strip of cloth. As it is drawn from roller 4, the clothpasses over the surface of the pasting-roller 6. 7o

7 is a trough or receptacle, of any suitable construction, for paste orglue.

.8 is a scraper,which acts to keep the surface of the pasting-roller inproper condition; 9, an oilor gas stove under the trough to keep 7 thepaste heated. After leaving the pastingroller the strip'passes over aroller, 10, which turns it, leaving the pasted side up. The strip nextpasses between forming-rollers 11 and 12,which form it (216., intotrough shape) to receive the stay.

The parts just described may be of any suitable construction.

The style of machine illustrated is found in practice to work in aperfectly satisfactory 8 manner.

13 is a magazine secured in any suitable manner to the bed orframe-work, in which stays are placed, they being held flat and forceddown into the path of the fingers by a 90, weight, 14.

15 indicates a cross-slide moving in ways 16 in the carrying-plate.

17 indicates fingers, which are ordinarily rigidly secured to thecross-slide and recipro- 93 cate in grooves 18 in the carrying-plate.Any number of fingers may be used. WVe have-illustrated three in thedrawings, and preferably use that number. These fingers project forwardfrom the cross-slide and pass into holes rco 19 in the base of themagazine at each reciprocation.

.1 stay having just been thrown'out.

20 is the floor of the magazine, and 21 a slot through the magazine atthe back, extending its entire length.

It will be noticed in Fig. 5 that the tops of the fingers project abovethe floor of the magazine just the height of one stay. It will also benoticed that'slot 21 just permits the fingers to pass through it,carrying one stay before them. The retracted position of the fingers isshown in Fig. 5, a stay having been pressed down upon the floor of themagazine ready to be forced out by the fingers. Fig. 4 shows the fingersat their extreme forward position, the

Turning now to the left of the machine, 22 and 23 representdrawing-rollers, whose shafts 24 and 25 are journaled in the frame-work.

26 and 27 are two rollers at the extreme left of the machine, whichserve as cutting-rollers, and may also serve as drawing-rollers, theirshafts also being journal'ed in the frame work.

30 is the driving-pulley, which weprcferably attach to shaft 28.

31 is a gear on shaft 28, 32 is a gear on shaft 24, and 33 anintermediate gear, which communicates the motion of gear 31 to 32.

The reciprocating motion of the cross-slide may be impartedin anysuitable manner. \Ve have, however, provided a crank, 34, at the end ofshaft 24, which carries a connectingrod, 35, the other end of which ispivoted to one arm of a bell-crank lever, 36. This lever is journaledupon a stud, 37, which is secured in the carrying-plate and projectsupward through a slot, 38, in the cross-slide. The other arm of thebell-crank lever is provided with a slot, 39, which is engaged by a pin,40, carried by the cross-slide. It will thus be seen that eachrevolution of shaft 24 imparts a forward and backward movement to thecrossslide. After leaving the forming or folding rollers 11 and 12 thestrip of cloth or paper passes forward, and is ready to receive a stay.Each reciprocation of the fingers forces a stay out from the magazine,carries it forward, and deposits it in the centerof the strip as itpasses beneath. If preferred, the strip, after leaving theforming-rollers, may be passed through a trough, 41, the stay beingforced out and into the strip while it is in the trough. Thedrawing-rollers act continuously and draw the strip forward with thestays within it. The stays and strip then pass into the folder 42, whichfolds first one side of the strip, then the other, down upon the stay.The lower fold of course adheres firmly to the stay and the upper foldadheres to that. Both folds are pressed firmly into position as theypass through the drawing-rollers. If preferred, one of thedrawing-rollers, likewise one of the cutting'rollers, may be carried byspring-boxes. As this is a well-known feature of construction, however,we have not deemed it necessary to illustrate it. After leaving thedrawing-rollers the strip,with a stay inclosed within it, passes betweenthe cntting-rollers, one of which is provided with a knife or cutter,4.3, the other with a slight groove, 44. It will of course be understoodthat the diameter of the drawing and cutting rollers is the same, andthat the circumference is equal to the length of a stay plus the lengthof the piece of the strip that intervenes between two stays. The machineis so timed in practice as to sever the strip half-way between twostays.

\Ve have not shown any adjustments, for the reason that in practice eachmachine will be used upon a single length of stays. The machine may ofcourse be made adjustable in any simple and ordinary manner-forexample,by removing the gears, the drawing and the cutting rollers, andsubstituting others in their places.

In order to'avoid the possibility of the stays becoming turned afterbeing forced out by the fingers, we have provided a rest, 45, carried byasleeve, 46,which reciprocates upon rod 47. 48 is a connectingrod, oneend of which is pivoted to sleeve 46, the other end being pivotedeccentrically to gear 32.

49 indicates stops secured to the bed-plate. against which the staysstrike when forced out by the fingers, and which act to prevent themfrom being thrown too far or beyond the strip. This portion ofourinvention is clearly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. As a stay isforced out,it strikes the stops and the forward end drops down upon thestrip of covering material. The other-end of the stay,however, issupported at an angle by rest 45, which reciprocates in a plane abovethe coveringstrip, so that the stay cannot possibly become turned. Asthe stay is carried forward, the rest moves with it until gear 32 hascompleted a half-revolution. By this time the point of the stay willhave passed into the folder and cannot have passed in otherwise thanperfectly flat. The rest then returns to the position shown in Figs. 2and 4, allowing the stay to drop flat, and is then ready to receive thenext stay.

In the modified form illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 neither carrying-platenor cross-slide is provided with recesses for the fingers. The front ofcarrying-plate is provided with a concaved depression, 50, and thefingers are made of spring metal, ordinary stays being preferably usedfor this purpose. These fingers are held in position by a strip, 51,whose surface conforms with depression 50, and which is held in positionby screws 52. Any desired number of fingers may be used, and they may beadjusted or new ones may be substituted by simply loosening screws 52.It is of course desirable that the acting portion of the spring-fingersshould lie fiat upon the surface of the carry ing-plate, as shown,leaving the other ends to project above the cross-slide. The action ofthis form in use is precisely the same as the other.

The operation of the entire machine having been fully described in thedescription of the parts, further explanation will hardly be re- .lCO

quired. It will of course be'understood that the details of constructionmay be widely varied without departing from the spirit of our invention.

lVe claim- 1. In a machine for covering stays, the magazine andreciprocating fingers for forcing the stays out singly, in combinationwith the folder, drawing-rollers, and a cutter.

2. The magazine having holes 19 and aslot, 21, and reciprocating fingersadapted to force the stays out singly through said slot, in combinationwith the folder, drawing-rollers, and cutting-rollers, as and for thepurpose, set forth.

3. In a machine for covering stays, the

' combination, with the magazine and reciproeating fingers for forcingthe stays out singly, of rollers 11 and 12,which form the strip toreceive the stays, the folder, drawing and pressing rollers 22 and 23,and rollers 26 and 27, one of which is provided with a cutter adapted todivide the strip between the stays.

4. In a machine for covering independent stays, the magazine and thereciprocating fingers for forcing the stays out singly, in combinationwith pasting-rollers, forming-rollers, a folder, and drawing andpressing rollers.

5. In a machine for covering corset-stays, the combination, withforming-rollers 11 and 12, a folder, drawing-rollers, andcutting-rollers, of a magazine having a slot at the back of justsufficient height to permit one stay to pass out, and holes 19 at thefront, and reciprocating fingers which enter said holes, catch thelowermost stay, andforce it through said slot and into thecovering-strip.

6. In a machine for covering stays, the forming-rollers,drawing-rollers, cutting rollers, and the folder, in combination withthe magazine, a weight which holds thestays down flat, and reciprocatingfingers which press them out singly into the covering-strip.

7. In' a machine for covering stays, the combination, with the folderand drawingrollers, of a magazine, the reciprocating fingers, and stops49, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The drawing-rollers and folder, in combination with the magazine,reciprocating fingers, stops 49, and a rest, 45, moving with the stay,whereby the latter is prevented from becoming turned.

9. The drawing-rollers, folder, magazine, and reciprocating fingers, incombination with rest 45, attached to sleeve 46, rod 47, by which saidsleeve is carried, and a rod, 48, connecting said sleeve to one of theshafts.

10. In a machine for covering independent stays, the pasting, turning,and forming rollers, magazine, and reciprocating fingers, in combinationwith a folder, drawing-rollers, and a cutter.

11. The magazine and reciprocating fingers, in combination with trough41, stops 49, rest 45, a folder, and the drawing-rollers.

12. The forming-rollers, stops, and moving rest 45, in combination withthe magazine, reciprocating fingers, a folder, and the drawing-rollers.r

18. In ,a machine for covering independent stays, drawing-rollers,cutting-rollers, amagazine, and trough 41, in combination with across-slide and fingers 17, bell-crank lever 34, and connecting-rod 35.

14. The drawingrollers, folder, magazine, weight, and fingers, incombination with shaft 24, carrying gear 32, rod 47, sleeve 46,

rest 45, and connecting-rod 48.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM A. NETTLETON. CHARLES F. LITTLEJOHN. Witnesses:

A. M. WoosTER, B. HARDER.

